Maui: Emergency officials of Hawaii ordered for evacuation on Thursday due to a runaway brush fire in Maui.
The fire has engulfed about 3,000 acres of land could not be contained yet. Firefighters were asked to remain on alert at night in case the flames come in contact with any structures or residential areas.
According to the report, the fire started on Thursday morning and by the afternoon it went out of control forcing the emergency officials to declare evacuations. An evacuation alert was sent to the residents of Maalaea and in parts of Kihei in the form of SMS.
The officials have activated the emergency operation and also warned the residents about the situation.
Winds blowing at the speed of 15 and 20 miles per hour were fanning the flames allowing the situation to worsen. Two helicopters were conducting water drops in the area.
The National Weather Service said that a huge cloud of smoke from the fire can be seen from the outer space.
No casualties were reported so far. Some flights to the island's main airport in Kahului were diverted because the fire was affecting the access to the facility, the state department of transportation said on Twitter.
Hawaiian Airlines said its flights were operating as scheduled, but spokesman Alex Da Silva said that the airlines were urging passengers to check the status of their flights because the situation was evolving.
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